Babysitter protective tents



Aug. 11, 1959 J. c. SMILEY 2,398,923

BABYSITTER PROTECTIVE TENTS Filed Got. 24, 1955- I Tend-6J0) F192?INVENTOR.

JAN CAROL SMILEY WW I BABYSITTER PROTECTIVE TENTS Jan Carol Smiley, SanDiego, Calif.

Application October 24, 1955, Serial No. 542,296

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-1) My invention relates to a babysitter tent, cabinetor chamber structure, light and portable in character and constructedfor the entertainment and protective confinement of infant babies andyoung children; and its objects are to provide an adequate play,exercise and resting, protected area for said infants without requiringattention of the mother or caretaker while she is engaged in houseworkor other vocations in the house or the immediate vicinity thereof; aprovide a housing for the confinement of such infants indoors orout-of-doors, while guarding them against drafts, excessive sunshine,dust, or annoying insects; to allow infants without molestation tosleep, romp, play, exercise, sunbathe and enjoy their toys, while beingsecure against escape or outside danger; to furnish a portable structureof this character which is collapsible and which may be quickly set upand taken down and utilized for the home, yard, beach, camping in thewoods or along lakes, at the Oceanside, for fishing trips, for pic nicgrounds or for commercial baby or child care in private or institutionalhomes, nursery schools, child or baby sitting in department or other andall types of stores while parents do their shopping, or for places ofeducation or hospitalization or observation while aifording completeprotection for the infant; to allow the covering for the tent readily tobe removed from its frame and to be washed and easily restored; or, ifthe material of said covering is of non-washable material to allow it tobe restored to its original state by cleaning or sterilizing uponremoval of said covering from said frame; to render the parts readilyaccessible for inspection,'adjustment, re moval, replacement, renovationor repair; to provide a tent covering of non-porous substance, such asplastic, plastic product, rubberized fabric or other water repellantmaterial, which could be left on the frame and washed, cleaned orsterilized, without being required to be removed therefrom, and in whichopenings could be made for the proper ventilation thereof; and ingeneral to provide a babysitter protective tent which is simple, compactand economical of construction, saving of labor, efficient in action andof long life and durability.

My invention further consists of other novel features of construction,and of other combinations and arrangements of elements and partsillustrated in the drawing and as hereinafter more specificallydescribed and claimed.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, illustrating apreferred form of my invention, in which drawing similar numerals ofdesignation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a babysitter tent embodying myinvention, showing the covering applied to the frame thereof, the openentrance or window in the front of said covering, the adjustableremovable front drop and a removable canopy provided therefor;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the frame, the covering having beenremoved therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the frame shown in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the frame for the re- States Patetmovable canopy, showing the cloth, fabric or material of the samedetached therefrom;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the ball-ended bar, rod or dowel employedfor the adjustment of the front drop and located just below the entranceof the babysitter tent, and

Fig. 6 is the front view of the removable adjustable screen employed tocover the said entrance, window, opening or doorway against the ingressof insects.

Referring to the drawing, the babysitter tent there shown is in the formof a triangular or wedge-shaped or pyramid shaped cabinet, and comprisesthe collapsible hinged frame 7, the covering 8, the entrance window ordoorway the removable canopy 10, and the adjustable and removableentrance or front drop 11.

The frame 7 is preferably composed of light metallic tubing, but may beof any suitable material tubular or solid in character. As shown in thedrawing, the said frame is constructed of a pair of upset U-shapedmembers 12 and 13, the yokes of which are hinged together by the clamps14 and 15, each of said clamps being in the form of an annulus withseparated ends in sliding e11- gagement with said yokes. To maintain thelegs of said members 12 and 13 in angular spaced relation, I employ thebraces 16, each of which can be made in a single bar horizontallydisposed, and locked in place by slots in the ends of said barpositioned to engage with a button, knob or rivet protruding from theadjacent legs. Preferably, however, each of braces 16 is made of twoparts hinged together at their inner ends, and whose outer ends arepivotally connected to the legs thereto adjacent. When in alignment, theparts of each brace serves to hold the members in the desired angularspaced relation, and when turned out of alignment, the frame may readilybe collapsed. At the bottom ends of each of the legs of said members, 12and 13, I form or secure the rubber cups or caps 17.

To maintain a tight fit of the covering 8 against the inner portion ofthe canopy 10 and to add to the stability of the desired angle of spreadof the front legs of the frame 7, I employ a brace 18, the ends of whichare welded, riveted or firmly secured to the upper portions of saidlegs.

Preferably, through such arrangement or any other form of construction"that would obtain the same effect, I obtain an angular spread of notless than that of 20 of the legs of each member, in order to aiford thenecessary stability to the tent-like structure.

The covering 8 is shaped closely to conform to and cover the entireframe 7, including the leg caps 17, when said frame is fully distendedby the braces 16 and 18.

The covering may be made of light canvas, duck, drill, plastic, vinyliteplastic or other light-weight fabric, or of waterproof material or anyporous or non-porous material suitable for the purpose. It is generallycomprised of the floor strip 37, back strip 19, triangular side strips20, top panel 21, and lower panel 11, between which panels is formed theopen window or doorway 9, through which access is generally to be had tothe interior of the tent. However, if desired, this tent covering 8 maybe made in one section only or in more than one section and still bewithin the spirit of my invention. In case the said covering is ofnon-porous water-repellent material, I preferably, for ventilation,provide an opening or openings 22 in the back strip 1? opposite to thedoorway 9, but as is obvious other openings elsewere, through saidcovering for such purpose, could be made as desired.

Extending through the upper portions of the legs of the member 12 of theframe 7 adjacent to the brace 18, are the openings 23 located inalignment with the grommets 24 formed in the inturned sides 25 of thewindow 9;

8, which may be decorated, colored, fringed or ornamented as desired.This canopy is positioned so as to afford an efiective protection asagainst the rays of the sun, rain and inclement weather.

On both the inturned sides of the window 9 just above the lower panel11, I affix sets of three rings 29, vertically spaced and oppositelyarranged, so as to engage at different levels with the barrier rod 30,one end of which is threaded to engage with a removable ball 31, theother end of which is secured by cement or glue to a ball 32 immovablyaffixed thereto. Suspended from the rod 30 by tucks or broad hemsthrough which the inturned flap portion 33 of said panel is made toextend is the back drop or lower panel 11, the said panel being normallyof the same fabric as the tent, but which may be of any materialsuitable for the purpose. Through engagement with oppositely locatedrings 29, the barrier rod 30 may be adjusted upwardly or downwardlycarrying the flap portion 33 of the panel 11, so as to raise the heightof the barrier thereby presented at the sill of the window 9, andpresenting an obstacle over which the infant is ordinarily unable toclimb, depending upon his age and growth. If desired, the panel 11 maybe made wholly detachable from the covering, either by threads institches removable therefrom, or by any means Well known in the art, inwhich case the tent will be made readily available as an open play tentfor children other than infants.

To guard the infant against annoying insects, particularly where thetent is used out of doors, I preferably employ the form of screen shownin Fig. 6, covering and conforming to the size of the Window 9, andcomprising the frame 34, the panel 35 of plastic screen, fabric netting,wire mesh, or other mesh material, and the attachments 36 and 36asecured to the top and sides of said frame; the rings 36 beingpositioned to engage with the catches 26 upon the attachment of thecanopy support 27 to the member 12, and the rings 3611 being positionedto engage with the rod 30 passing therethrough. In the case of theformation of ventilating openings 22 in the back strip 19, or elsewherein the wall of the tent fly, screens of the usual type or the type shownin Fig.

' 4 6 may be employed and afiixed to the walls of the tent as requiredor desired.

Also there may be supplied, a sponge rubber or rubberized mat orwaterproof pad conforming to and resting upon the floor strip 37 whichmat or pad may be taken out from time to time and washed or cleaned, asoccasion requires. Toys, pillows and other matters for the well being,entertainment and interest of children also may be furnished.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment as above set forth is therefore .to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of my inventionbeing indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which may come within the meaning and rangeof equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a babysitter protective tent for the confinement of infant babies andyoung ,children, the combination of a triangular shaped frame comprisinga pair of up-set U- shaped members hinged together at the bows thereofand having legs downwardly spreading therefrom, braces pivotally securedto .legs and serving to hold said legs in angular spaced relation, acovering conforming to said frame and completely enclosing the same,said covering having a window at the front thereof with a sillconstituting a barrier to the escape of the infant occupant from saidtent; the lower portion of the covering below said window openingextending upwardly to a substantial ex- .tent and being inturned to forma fold through which extends a removable barrier rod forming an encasedsill for said window; and means for securing the ends of said rod tosides of said window and for vertically adjusting the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS415,638 Hawks Nov. 19, 1889 548,425 Biddle Oct. 22, 1895 1,045,132Dorsey Nov. 26, 1912 1,575,902 Dial Mar. 9, 1926 1,684,237 Marbury Sept.11, 1928 1,784,199 Peterson Dec. 9, 1930 1,904,700 Starks Apr. 18, 19332,420,898 Miner May 20, 1947

